Keeping records or maintenance and tasks on the reef aquarium,

It is a good idea to keep a notebook in which you record what you did and when you did it. Do not rely on your memory! Once some time has passed, your memory can fail as to when the reef was set up, when the rock was added, how long the tank took to cycle, when the inverts were added, how many of them there were, when the fish were added, how many of them went in, what kinds they were, what the results of your water tests have been, and so on.

Unless you are an analytical type, keeping a notebook and writing down all the things you initially do to the reef will seem like a waste of time. However, as time goes on (as it has a way of doing), you will begin to see the importance and benefits of keeping the notebook. If you do this from the start, there will be a minimum of guesswork regarding water changes, water quality, how long the reef has been set up, and the monetary value of the reef.

Here is a list of maintenance procedures,

Daily:

1. Check general appearance of reef.
2. Adjust protein skimmer.
3. Adjust water level (compensating for evaporation).
4. Feed livestock.

As needed:

1. Remove unwanted algae (on glass and overflow pipes).
2. Clean protein skimmer; change airstones; adjust Venturi valve.

Weekly:

1. Change prefilter pads.

Biweekly (alternately):

1. Change water.
2. Add trace elements.

Monthly:

1. Test water.
2. Clean the tank cover.
3. Wipe the light bulbs.

Every 3 months:

1. Clean the cooling fan(s).
2. Inspect and clean the water pumps.

Every 6 months:

1. Take down and completely clean the sump.
2. Take down and service the pump.
3. Replace light bulbs.

Once a year:

1. Completely take down, clean, and rebuild the reef.
2. 
   

Simplified Reefkeeping

What is Live Sand?

It is sand that (1) was taken from a coral reef, and (2) has many micro- and macro-organisms living in it. These organisms are present naturally. They help balance the reef tank by providing a natural food source for the inhabitants of the enclosed reef, and by providing and encouraging bacterial water purification (nitrification and denitrification).

Do I need all live sand?

No. You may use all live sand (and if money is no problem, that is fine), but live sand is expensive. It is not as costly as live rock, but it can still add up. I have used a half-and-half mixture: one-half actual live sand and the other half a material called “aragonite,” by CaribSea. This material is designed specifically for reef tanks and live sand filters. It has all the desirable qualities without the hefty price (aragonite costs about $1 a pound). When you use this 50/50 mixture, the live sand will colonize the aragonite material, so that eventually the mixture will become all live sand.

One factor to consider: the amount of die-off on live sand is unpredictable. If you use all live sand, it will take some time to cycle. It is a biologically dense material containing millions of bacteria and other organisms, and it is rich in both living and dead life forms. As stated in the section on power outages, oxygen is needed to keep most organisms alive. Shipping and handling of this sand material can take its toll on the organisms living in it.

Another thought: when purchasing the sand, you can’t really tell its quality by looking at it, as you can with live rock.

Can I use any sand for the job?

No. You should use only live sand or aragonite material. Regular beach sand, play sand, or home improvement type sand will most likely have silicate in it, which will be sure to cause problems with algae, which will be next to impossible to remove. Ordinary sand may also have “who knows what” in it, so don’t use it. Use only material recommended for reef tanks.

How much sand will I need? For a recommended thickness of approximately 1-3/4 to 2 inches, you will use 1.45 pounds of sand per gallon. For a 55-gallon tank, this is 80 pounds. It may interest you to know that this works out to the same per-gallon amount as is recommended for live rock. It seems that 1.45 or 1.5 pounds of live rock or sand per gallon is the maximum amount to put in the tank.

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Basic Live Rock setup

Simplified Reefkeeping

Reef Tank Components Setup

Simplified Reefkeeping

The Most Common Mistakes By Beginner Reef Enthusiast

The first mistake many people make is to start out with the wrong size tank. They base their decision on the assumption that if they start small they can cut costs. To a certain extent this is true. If you really want a small tank, that is fine. However, I do not recommend starting with a small tank as an experiment to see how it goes before getting what you really want. A small tank requires all the same apparatus as a large tank. The setup will be the same but smaller. It will cost a little less, but when you change to the larger size you really want, the components of the smaller system will be of little use. Therefore I suggest giving careful thought from the beginning to the size of your tank, as this decision will dictate all the other decisions you will have to make.

The second mistake: trying to cut corners without actually knowing what is needed The second mistake is to try to cut corners with the components needed for a reef. Many times the novice will decide, “I’ll do without this,” or “I don’t need that.” For those of you who do not have the experience needed to actually know what and what not to use on the reef: please do not cast aside the recommendations of experienced reef keepers. You will find that if it is really not needed it will not be on the following list.

The best way to cycle a reef tank.

CYCLE THE TANK WITH LIVE ROCK ONLY

Step 1. Purchase all (or if your budget is low at the time, get at least 1/2) of the live rock you will use, and proceed to step 2. When ready, get the second 1/2 of the rock.

Step 2. When all the live rock is in the tank, test for ammonia and nitrite. You need to get a zero reading, which could take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the amount of die-off on the rock. Do not proceed to step 3 until steps 1 and 2 are complete.

Step 3. Begin to add inverts (clams, shrimp, starfish, crabs, snails). Add a few at a time, checking ammonia and nitrite. After all inverts are added, and the test results for ammonia and nitrite are zero, proceed to add your corals, a few at a time. Continue to test for ammonia and nitrite until all your corals are added. When the readings are at zero (this will usually take about 2 weeks, possibly longer), proceed to add the fish in the same manner as above, until all the fish have been added.

Cycling the tank with live rock is the simplest, most trouble-free way to start a reef tank.

Step 4. When the test results read zero, and you begin to test and record nitrate, your tank is completely cycled. When you cycle this way, the live rock does most of the conditioning. This is the way to start your system. It is definitely the safest procedure, because it is hard to know how much die-off the live rock has on it. This way you won’t endanger the valuable, delicate specimens you will add later. Remember, only bad things happen fast. You will need to exercise patience, resisting the impulse to do things in reverse. Remember: live rock first, inverts second, corals third, and fish last. You are now up and running. This will take about 2 to 6 weeks, possibly longer.

Once all the rock is in the tank, the cycling of the water will begin. In approximately three days, there should be a measurable amount of ammonia. Test and record the ammonia at this time. Continue to test and record it at three to four-day intervals. The reading will rise and rise, until one day it will drop off and be zero. At that time, begin to test for nitrite.

The nitrite cycle is very similar to the ammonia cycle, so use the same procedure as described for ammonia. Do not become alarmed with the test results! This is the cycling process, and the tank will balance out! As long as you do not have any fish, inverts or coral in the tank, you have nothing to worry about. Be patient, let nature take its course, and the tank will cycle.

When the nitrite test reads zero, you should begin to test for nitrate. You will get only very faint nitrate readings, because the tank is now balanced and has virtually no bio-load (waste products from fish, invertebrates, etc.).

When the bacteria “catch up” (multiply to process the waste in the tank), you will get zero readings of ammonia and nitrite The tank has now had its first and largest cycle. When you add more livestock, this will increase the waste load, and the bacteria will have to multiply and catch up with the increased load. You will get mini-cycles of ammonia and nitrite when you add livestock. These small cycles will be insignificant as long as you don’t add too many creatures at once. Begin by adding inverts, two to three at a time, until they are all in. Do the same with the corals (possibly slower because of the cost). Test for ammonia and nitrite a few days after each addition. If the test results are zero, proceed to add creatures as described until all inverts and corals are added. Give them a week or so to acclimate. Test for ammonia and nitrite. When they register zero, and the inverts and corals appear to be well adjusted, you are ready to add fish in the same manner as described.

How much Live Rock is required in a reef tank, what is recommemded?

It is very important to have the correct amount of live rock. Some people have gotten carried away with the idea that if some is good, more must be better. This is not true! As with all concepts of reef keeping, balance is very important here. If you don’t have enough live rock, natural internal filtration will be ineffective, because the bacterial colony on the rock will be inadequate to perform the task. Or, if you have too much live rock, you will have dead spots on it. These are areas of live rock that are covered with other rock, blocking some surfaces from light and water circulation. These dead spots are likely to trap waste, sediment, uneaten food, and many other products you would otherwise remove regularly. When waste products accumulate in these areas, they will be a sure food source for micro-algae, which will thrive, causing diminished water quality.

This is referred to as “stacking” the rock, and it should be avoided at all costs.

The correct amount of live rock to have in a reef tank is between a minimum of 1 pound per gallon and a maximum of 1.75 pounds per gallon. Somewhere in the middle, like 1.35 pounds per gallon, would be ideal. Do not exceed 1.75, unless you want to turn some quality live rock into base rock, which would take at least a year to recover and resemble what it was before other rock was stacked on top of it.

I have met many people who have jammed as much live rock into their tanks as would physically fit, in an effort to create a natural system. The only result they got was a natural disaster. Two-thirds of the rock died. The water had so much nutrient in it that it could not be reused. They had to start all over again, rinsing all the rock, buying another tank to use the excess rock, or trying to sell the rock back to the store (as base rock). They learned that when it comes to amounts of live rock, more is definitely not better. Again, do not exceed 1.75 pounds per gallon.

Amounts and quality of live rock for a 55-gallon setup: (55 gallons x 1.5 = 82.5 lbs.)

• 12 lbs. base rock for bottom, fist size
• 40 lbs. premium quality for back and sides, large flat
• 20 lbs. encrusted octocoral, large long, for high points
• 11 lbs.  of ricordia mushroom rock for accents
•  

Simplified Reefkeeping

Cloudy water problem in my reef tank

History:  62 gal. plexi that has been up and running for a year and a half.  Conditions have been real good until about a month or so ago.  Brownish/clouded water has been plaguing it.  I have a Fluval 303 canister filter and a CPR Backpack protein skimmer.  2 powerheads and a good heater.  I do 30% water changes every month along with changing the carbon in the Fluval. The tank used to stay crystal clear but not any more!  So far I have done extra water changes, bought two new bulbs (daylight and actinic) because the daylight was a year and a half old and the actinic 9 mos. old.  There has not been much in the way of algae on the surfaces (no more than usual towards the end of
  the cycle) but there has been a lot of tiny bubbles in the water and many have been accumulating on the Plexiglas.  I do NOT have an air stone and the protein skimmer does not seem to be putting many bubbles into the water. When I took a water sample out to show the local fish store, it was brownish/cloudy at first but then cleared up with just “dark brown cob web looking things floating around”.  All my water tests (ph, kWh, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia) have been great forever.  I tried covering the tank with blankets for a three day period to keep all light out in the hopes of killing a strange algae strain, but it didn’t do much.  My last water change was 50% about a week ago.  I’m almost ready to take my fish into a store and drain my tank and start all over.  Please help.  Any suggestions or question that I may answer would be greatly appreciated.–

  Humm.. this is a stumper
  Do you use reverse osmosis or deionized water? If so when was the last time you replaced the resin? The resin has a certain life span depending on the impurities of your
  water.  I would look into that.  Your maintenance sounds very good so I leads me to the source water.  Another thing is that canister filters are not generally used on modern reef tanks. I would seriously consider getting rid of it or if you must use it for a pump then remove the internal media. The internal media becomes a nitrate factory.. something you *Don’t* want or need.  do you have a sump? or area where you could put a fairly large amount of carbon where the water doesn’t have to flow *through* but around. Using sizable amounts of carbon this way will generally strip most any questionable material from the tank. I would go to a paint store and ask for nylon pain strainer bags about .50 ea. and use them to hold the carbon. In a 60 gallon tank I would use approx 3 to 4 oz of carbon at a time (in the bag) for about 3 to 4 days then replace and continue for 2 or 3 applications. If you see an improvement continue, if for some strange reason your corals react badly… discontinue use. They shouldn’t but one never knows.  Also, the small bubbles may be being created by not having enough skimming. It could be small particulate matter coming from the fluval.  I know a
  backpack is rated for a 60 but that’s probably pushing it. You may want to thorough clean the skimmer and possibly consider upgrading to a larger
  model.

What do I need for a Successful Reef Tank?

ITEM w/APPROX. COST

All the items here are needed for a successful reef tank

Note: these are approx retail prices,your cost may vary.

1. Deionizer or reverse osmosis water purifier $ 270
2. Resin for above, to replace every 6 months: 1 gal. $ 60
3. Bulbs: 48″ actinic blue & actinic white, 4 @ $25 $100
4. 30″ protein skimmer (Venturi)* $300
5. Pressure pump for skimmer, 500 to 600 GPH $90
6. Carbon pre filters for tap water: 1 @ $60, 1 @ $25 $85
7. Cartridges for above: 2 @ $12, 1 @ $5 $29
8. Sump box (for prefilter)* $150
9. Material, 6 packages floss prefilter $50
10. Main pump 500 to 600 GPH $90
11. Tank: 55 gallons* $70
12. Tank stand* $75
13. Light canopy to house four 48″ bulbs (with VHO ballast)* $300
14. Salt mix: 1 for setup for 55 gallon tank $18
15. Salt mix for water changes $18
16. Phosphate test kit $20
17. Test kit for ammonia, pH, nitrite, nitrate $45
18. Test kit for K.H. $12, calcium $12 $24
19. Specific gravity meter $12
20. Misc. (books, power strips, Kalkwasser, trace elements, etc.) $100

TOTAL: $1,906

* These items can easily be made by the hobbyists to save money, my book shows you how! Plus! other items not on the list. . .

What else do I need?

There are a couple of items I left out, such as a wave maker or surge buckets, timers for the lights, electronic pH testers, a generator in the event of a power outage, etc. I omitted these from the startup figure because they are not absolutely essential at the very beginning. They are important, beneficial components, but they can be added to the system later on if you prefer.

Simplified Reefkeeping

Planning the Reef Aquarium

The most important thing to do is to plan. The reason this is so important, in my opinion, is that so many people would like to get into this hobby, but they don’t plan. They walk into a pet store, see some nice live rock and coral and invertebrate, and they want to start a tank with that. After their purchase, they find their light is not strong enough, their water isn’t pure enough, they don’t have test kits or the right size protein skimmer. Their tank has not been properly conditioned, so the livestock they bought dies. At this point, they are shocked at what it will cost to get the proper items, and many just give up. Some others try to go on with half of the items they really need, still with bad results. Do not take this approach!

Summary: Understand what is involved

• Can you afford a reef tank?
• Write a plan
• List actual costs of items in your area
• Get an idea of a tank size

1. What size tank?

Its location, preferably near a sink (for water supply and drain). Will the floor carry the weight of the tank? Preferably away from direct sunlight. How much floor space will all the equipment take? Is there enough power supply to run all the equipment? Will there be enough room to service behind the tank? (See Chapter 12, on large tank location.)

2. Your budget.

Can you afford it? List and plan (very important). You may not be able to have everything up and running right away. But if you are patient and plan ahead, buying what you need as you can afford it, you will end up with the largest, most pleasing setup you can have. Put a lot of effort into the functioning of the system first, before adding live creatures to it. Plan for the ease of water changes and waste water drainage, the location of your tap water purification system, a large protein skimmer, and high-power lights with the proper bulbs. Once you have these in place (proceeding to each item as you can afford it), you won’t have to worry about jeopardizing the livestock you will buy. This is definitely the best approach. The next pages will give a recommended sequence for purchases.

In this hobby only bad things happen fast, due to lack of time spent on planning

3. Your time.

Remember: only bad things happen fast in this hobby, usually due to lack of time spent. Patience is invaluable. Keeping a reef will take a considerable amount of time, especially if you fabricate the components yourself. However, the rewards are exceptional! You will get tremendous satisfaction from knowing that you built components that are practical to maintain, and far exceed factory-built standards. But all this takes time,a lot of time. Are you willing to do water changes every two to three weeks? Are you ready to change your prefilter every week? Make limewater as needed for evaporation? Remove algae as needed? These are all responsibilities you have to take into consideration. (See Chapter 9, "Maintenance.")

Micro Reef vs. Mini-Reef - Which one is for me?

These are small tanks, usually 10 to 20 gallons. They are sometimes suggested because they are significantly less expensive to set up and maintain, so they are more affordable to more people. If you really want a 10-gallon reef tank, a mini reef may be for you. The first paragraph in Chapter 3, “Before You Begin,” describes some pitfalls of starting out small. There are other disadvantages as well:

Drawbacks of Mini Reefs

A smaller tank is less stable than a larger one. It is substantially more affected by temperature, biological load of livestock, accumulated waste, water changes, and adding trace elements (i.e., Kalkwasser, iodine, strontium).

• A 10-gallon reef tank is biologically fragile.
• A 10-gallon reef will cost between $400 and $600, which is $40-60 per gallon.
• In mini reefs, water changes and make-up are usually done with distilled water purchased from a store in gallon containers. Over a period of time this can be expensive, costing $1-2 per gallon for pure water.

Simplified Reefkeeping

The best approach of lighting a reef aquarium.

The long and short of the story is that the reef needs a specific type and quality of light. I could go on about color temperature, which is the whiteness of the bulb, or the CRI (“Color Rendering Index”), which is how natural objects appear while illuminated. The higher the CRI, the better the color rendering properties (see Glossary). Kelvin is a temperature scale, “lux” and “lumens” are for brightness. I have experimented with most commonly available lamps, trying to find the correct combination of lighting parameters recommended for a reef tank; I have always gotten poor results from these experiments.

To simplify the subject: buy the correct bulbs for your reef. There are many companies specifically dedicated to providing you with the correct bulbs. There really are no other common, inexpensive light bulbs that provide the proper lighting spectrum requirements for the reef.

The enclosed reef should have between 3 and 5 watts per gallon, and the lighting should stay on for no more than 9 hours a day. This means an absolute minimum of 3 watts per gallon, to an absolute maximum of 5 watts per gallon. For a 55-gallon tank, you will need between 165 and 275 watts. Remember the minimum is 3 watts per gallon, and the maximum is 5 watts per gallon. At 3 watts per gallon: 3 x 55 = 165. At 5 watts per gallon: 5 x 55 = 275.

Most experienced reef keepers change the bulbs for their tanks every 6 months, no matter what the factory rating. Any time over 6 months, and the light-loving creatures will suffer from not having the illumination they need in order to thrive. When you install new bulbs, you will see a noticeable difference in the photosynthetic livestock. Everything that is light-dependent will “come alive.” The benefits of proper lighting are amazing. We humans cannot tell the difference, but the reef livestock most definitely can!

Simplified Reefkeeping

How Important is Water Quality in the reef aquarium??

Nothing will insure your success as much as the quality of your water! One of the most important elements of an enclosed reef system is the water. With human beings, clean fresh air is necessary for good health; in a reef tank, the water is the vital component.

The water you use will have the greatest effect on the success or failure of your reef tank Do not make the mistake of assuming your tap water is suitable. Most likely it is not. Many a novice reef aquarist has paid dearly for overlooking the composition of plain tap water.

USING PLAIN TAP WATER

The first approach is to try to use your tap water, just as it comes out of the faucet. This seems like the easiest way, but it has the most potential problems. If you insist on using your tap water, I would strongly suggest that you have it tested in a laboratory. You will find such laboratories listed in the Yellow Pages. The tests cost about $10 each. You want the lab to test for phosphate and silicate (algae producers), nitrate, lead, and copper. So you need five tests @ $10, which is $50. Even if the readings are low, you cannot be absolutely sure the water won’t cause problems at some point. However, you may get extremely lucky and be able to use your tap water.

Average tap water will usually induce micro-algae If you take this approach, there will be only one way to know whether it is satisfactory: once you have the tank set up and you have done the initial cycling process, if you don’t have a persistent algae problem and your livestock seems to be thriving, then you may assume the water is okay. I would not recommend this approach, as you may risk stressing or even killing the delicate and valuable specimens you have purchased. This may seem like the easiest and cheapest way to go, but I have found out that it is not.

The best approach is to use purified tap water. I have found this has been the most convenient, least expensive method to get top-quality water when and where you need it. This is a primary requirement of the reef.

What You Will Need

• 1 carbon prefilter, single stage (plumbing supply house)
• 1 carbon filter, dual stage
• 1 reverse osmosis or deionizer

Keep in mind that you cannot afford to cut corners in this area of your system. As stated from the beginning, nothing will ensure your success as much as the quality of your water.

Let me describe my system. First, it is necessary to have a cold water supply from your home, preferably near by the tank. In my setup, the tank is about 8 feet from a sink. I purchased a 3-way tap to tie into the cold water pipe, connected a piece of 1/2” plastic water pipe, and ran that next to the tank with a plastic garden hose type spigot.

Having a water supply at the tank is convenient and practical Now I have a water supply right at the tank, with a shutoff, which is ideal. This is extremely helpful when you do water changes and when adding the make-up water, which will be done frequently. I prefer not to have to wrestle with messy and inconvenient buckets and containers full of water.

To the male spigot I connect a length of garden hose, approximately 36”, with a female end to it. This is connected in series to a single-stage carbon prefilter, then to a dual-stage carbon filter, and finally to a deionizer, which has a 36” length of vinyl tubing for the outlet. The result is pure triple-carbon-filtered, deionized water. My make-up water system is located on the side of the tank, where I mix the water for bimonthly water changes and the make-up water for evaporation.

A Reverse Osmosis Unit:

The advantage:

• It supposedly produces a higher quality water.

The disadvantages:

• It processes water slowly.
• It must be near a drain for the waste water.
• The water supply from the house has to be on for extended periods of time.
• The unit may have to be left unattended while it is on.
• It will need a certain water pressure to operate properly. City water is usually okay, but a well pump may provide insufficient pressure. (Check the manufacturer’s recommendation for water pressure.)
• The water may have to be transferred from a large holding container to the make-up mixing system near the tank.
• There are more fittings on the unit that could malfunction (strip if over-tightened, need replacing) or leak at some point.

A Deionizer:

The deionizer is a much simpler design than the R.O. unit. It operates on a one-stage principle, using a container filled with a resin material that removes contaminants. I find that the quality of water it produces is perfectly acceptable for my reef.

The advantages:

• A ready supply of water. A deionizer can produce 5 gallons in 1/2 hour.
• There is no bypass waste water, so no need for a drain.
• It can be set up right near the tank and make-up system, if there is a water supply nearby.
• It does not have to be left on for extended periods unattended.
• It has fewer fittings than an R.O. unit (fewer opportunities for something to malfunction).
• It is easy to service.The disadvantage:
  • It is considered by some to produce a lesser quality of water than reverse osmosis.
  When selecting purifying resin for the deionizer, try to get the “indicating” type. This resin will change color when it needs to be replaced. This can help you avoid replacing it prematurely, or waiting too long past the life span of the resin’s contaminant-removing properties.
  Water purification products are rated by the amount of water they will process in a certain period of time. Determine how much water you will be using for setup, bimonthly water changes, and evaporation replacement. Compare the rating versus the price. Then purchase equipment that is slightly larger than you absolutely need. If you have a good relationship with your retailer, and his prices are competitive, purchase from him. Usually, he will stand behind the product he sells, and have the parts and resin when you need them.
  Prefiltering the R.O. or deionized water
  $$—Extend the life of the resin—$$
  Prefiltering the tap water is extremely beneficial and economical! Placing one or more quality carbon filters before the water enters the R.O. or deionizer will remove many harmful contaminants and impurities before the water goes into the expensive stage of purification. This will extend the life of the resin, which is costly. A quality carbon water filter is relatively inexpensive. A large, two-cartridge, carbon, home water filter is about $60. The replacement cartridges are about $12 each, and they will last 6 months easily. Small versions designed for the home can be purchased for less.
  My setup has a small single-cartridge unit connected to a larger double-cartridge unit, which then runs into the deionizer. My thought is that the first (single) unit is used as a prefilter, and ideally traps the bulk of impurities and sediments. This initial single cartridge is replaced every 2 months. The second, double-cartridge carbon prefilter handles what the first has missed, and is replaced at 4-month intervals. The final deionizer resin lasts approximately 5 to 6 months. I use 70 gallons a month for water changes and approximately 20 gallons to replace evaporation; this makes a total of 90 gallons a month, or 1,080 gallons a year.

Simplified Reefkeeping

What is the best way to "CYCLE" a Reef Tank?

CYCLE THE TANK WITH LIVE ROCK ONLY

Step 1. Purchase all (or if your budget is low at the time, get at least 1/2) of the live rock you will use in your reef aquarium, and proceed to step 2. When ready, get the second 1/2 of the rock.

Step 2. When all the live rock is in the tank, test for ammonia and nitrite. You need to get a zero reading, which could take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the amount of die-off on the rock. Do not proceed to step 3 until steps 1 and 2 are complete.

Step 3. Begin to add inverts (clams, shrimp, starfish, crabs, snails) . Add a few at a time, checking ammonia and nitrite. After all inverts are added to the reef aquarium, and the test results for ammonia and nitrite are zero, proceed to add your corals, a few at a time. Continue to test for ammonia and nitrite until all your corals are added. When the readings are at zero (this will usually take about 2 weeks, possibly longer), proceed to add the fish in the same manner as above, until all the fish have been added to the reef tank.

Cycling the reef tank with live rock is the simplest, most trouble-free way to start a reef tank.

Step 4. When the test in the aquarium results read zero, and you begin to test and record nitrate, your tank is completely cycled. When you cycle this way, the live rock does most of the conditioning. This is the way to start your system. It is definitely the safest procedure, because it is hard to know how much die-off the live rock has on it. This way you won’t endanger the valuable, delicate specimens you will add later. Remember, only bad things happen fast. You will need to exercise patience, resisting the impulse to do things in reverse. Remember: live rock first, inverts second, corals third, and fish last. You are now up and running. This will take about 2 to 6 weeks, possibly longer.

Once all the rock is in the tank, the cycling of the water in the reef aquarium will begin. In approximately three days, there should be a measurable amount of ammonia. Test and record the ammonia at this time. Continue to test and record it at three to four-day intervals. The reading will rise and rise, until one day it will drop off and be zero. At that time, begin to test for nitrite.

The nitrite cycle is very similar to the ammonia cycle, so use the same procedure as described for ammonia. Do not become alarmed with the test results! This is the cycling process, and the tank will balance out! As long as you do not have any fish, inverts or coral in the tank, you have nothing to worry about. Be patient, let nature take its course, and the tank will cycle.

When the nitrite test reads zero, you should begin to test for nitrate. You will get only very faint nitrate readings, because the tank is now balanced and has virtually no bio-load (waste products from fish, invertebrates, etc.).

When the bacteria “catch up” (multiply to process the waste in the tank), you will get zero readings of ammonia and nitrite The reef tank has now had its first and largest cycle. When you add more livestock, this will increase the waste load, and the bacteria will have to multiply and catch up with the increased load. You will get mini-cycles of ammonia and nitrite when you add livestock. These small cycles will be insignificant as long as you don’t add too many creatures at once. Begin by adding inverts, two to three at a time, until they are all in. Do the same with the corals (possibly slower because of the cost). Test for ammonia and nitrite a few days after each addition. If the test results are zero, proceed to add creatures as described until all inverts and corals are added. Give them a week or so to acclimate. Test for ammonia and nitrite. When they register zero, and the inverts and corals appear to be well adjusted, you are ready to add fish in the same manner as described.

More details are in the book Simplified Reefkeeping

Simplified Reefkeeping

What type of Filtration is reqiured for a Reef Aquarium?

The standard method of “purifying” the water for most reef aquariums has been to use a filter that is separate from the tank. This device, with which I’m sure you are familiar, is a container holding material that (1) traps particles from the water, and (2) has a sufficient surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonize. This has usually been an enclosed type or “canister” filter.

A more advanced design was the “trickle filter.” This is an open style, relatively large, Plexiglas box containing a drip plate, prefilter, and spherical-type plastic medium. The drip plate would evenly disperse the water onto the prefilter material to trap particles. This in turn would trickle through the plastic medium, where the nitrifying bacteria would colonize and purify by nitrification. With all this “trickling” taking place, oxygen will get pulled into the water, ensuring that the aerobic bacteria remain aerobic.

The trickle filter is an excellent filtering system for fish-only tanks, where you need a large external area for the bacteria to colonize. Also, the open design of the trickle filter allows easy access to the prefilter material. These filters have been used on reef tanks, but most reef hobbyists realize that the bacteria will colonize any porous substrate (the live rock), and that oxygen is provided by protein skimming. The primary concern of reef keepers using trickle filters is that particles and debris get trapped and accumulate in the plastic medium. This accumulated, nutrient-rich debris then provides a food source for micro-algae.

Plastic media can trap waste, causing high nutrient levels—a food source for micro-algae A trickle filter on a reef system would inhibit bacteria from colonizing on the live rock, by maintaining a high flow rate of water through the media and providing oxygen to that immediate area. This would encourage the bacteria to colonize on the plastic media instead of on the rock.

If the plastic media were ever cleaned, the bacteria would die, sending the reef into an ammonia/nitrite cycle. This may cause death of the more fragile species of the reef, and at worst could cause a domino effect that would involve all but the most hardy specimens.

Faced with these two outcomes of employing plastic media, and realizing that live rock is an optimum substrate for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, many advanced reef hobbyists simply did away with the plastic media. Those who had trickle filters with plastic media in operation would remove small amounts at a time (approximately 10% at every prefilter change once a week), ensuring that an ammonia/nitrite cycle would not occur, and thereby naturally relocating the bacteria to the live rock.

When I started in the hobby, it was recommended to have a trickle filter as described above. As time went on, even though I had live rock and sand and purified tap water, algae eventually became a problem. When I described this phenomenon to a friend, he shared his knowledge of plastic media and recommended the gradual removal of the plastic media. Slowly, the algae problem diminished in my tank. I will admit I was skeptical at first, but he was correct. This has become standard practice with almost all advanced reef keepers.

USING A TRICKLE FILTER AS A SUMP BOX

In perspective, the recommended filtration is still basically a trickle filter, without the media. We can use the box for a sump (to hold and control the water), and the drip plate and prefilter to provide their benefits. The concept is to change the prefilter once a week, to keep it from going “biological” (which could possibly lead to a small cycle), and to confine and remove the nutrient particles.

If you are currently using a trickle filter, you may be able to use it as a sump. It would have to be large enough to accommodate all the water needed for this type of method. Also, plumbing inlets and outlets may have to be added for feeds and drains to and from the protein skimmers, and possibly a main drain for the system. See Diagram 6 for the concept of a sump box with a prefilter and the location of the skimmers in relation to the sump box, as well as the relation of the sump box to the tank.

The following is an overview of the components for a modern reef filter.

1. Live rock, 1.5 to no more than 1.75 pounds per gallon.
2. Large protein skimmer capable of turning over water in the tank 6 times per hour.
3. Easily removable drip plate and prefilter material to clean or change once a week.
4. Large main pump capable of turning over water in the tank 6 times an hour.
5. Large sump box providing considerable turbulence, and capable of holding all the overflow of water from the tank, including the “working water.”
6. Denitrification areas .
7. Proper lighting.
8. Photosynthetic livestock.